Metamorphosis
by Chai Tea Latte
Summary: After the murder of her mother, Cassie finds herself moving to La Push to live with her father - the one who never seems to get old. Once she's there, things start to get a little weird. Jacob/OC. Possibly OOC.
1. A Matter of Time

**A/N: **Hello all! This is a new story I've been cooking up and I wanted to post the first few chapters to see whether or not I should continue. Read and let me know what you think.

* * *

"The ME just called – the body was completely drained of blood. They found no other indications of foul play, beside two puncture wounds near the jugular."

"Do you think we have some kind of serial killer who has an obsession with vampires? The last few murders have been exactly the same, besides a few bodies burnt beyond recognition - all of them have been drained of blood, and all have the same puncture wounds on the neck."

"I don't know, but this is getting out of control. If we don't do something to stop it, we'll be faced with the highest number of homicides Colorado has ever seen."

The two police officers sat opposite each other in the precinct, and exchanged a worried glance.

* * *

Cassandra sat in the interrogation room with her face buried in her hands, sobbing. She had been called down for questioning in regards to the murder of her mother, and was at a complete loss for words. She couldn't think of anyone who would want to harm her gentle, loving mother.

A year ago her mother had decided that she wanted a fresh start, and so the pair found themselves moving from Detroit, Michigan to Denver, Colorado. They owned a two-story, four-bedroom home in the suburbs, surrounded by friendly neighbors who accepted them with open arms. Cassandra attended Thomas Jefferson High School, and found herself surrounded by a good group of friends. She was excelling in all of her subjects, including her advanced placement classes, and she would be entering the twelfth grade at the end of summer; to her, life couldn't be any better.

She was staying over at a friend's house when she got the call from the police. Apparently, they had obtained her cell phone number from her mother's phone, which was found at the scene.

At that moment, two men clad in police uniforms entered the room and took their seats in front of Cassandra. She looked up at them with red, puffy eyes.

"Cassandra, we know this is hard for you, but we just need to ask a few questions so we could hopefully find out who did this, okay?" She nodded her head.

"Do you know of anyone who would want to harm your mother?"

"No." Her normally musical voice was now hoarse from crying.

"Did anything seem off about her the last time you saw or talked to her?"

"No, she seemed completely fine."

The officer jotted her answers down on his notepad.

"Do you have any relatives you can call? It has come to our attention that it was only you and your mother living together."

She nodded her head, thinking of one person in particular – her father. Her parents divorced when she was seven, and ever since then, her father tried to be in her life as much as he could. She wasn't sure about the reasons her parents divorced, but she did know that he moved to Washington, nearly 1,800 miles away from their home in Michigan.

"Alright, come with me so you can use the phone."

She slowly got up and followed the officer to a desk located in the left corner of the crowded room. He motioned for her to sit behind the desk, which she did, and she picked up the receiver and began to enter the familiar digits of her father's number. After three rings, a deep voice picked up.

"Hello?"

"Dad?" She sounded completely broken.

"Cassandra? Baby, what's wrong?"

"Mom's dead – someone murdered her. I don't know what to do. I don't have any family here, dad, and…and…" She started sobbing again.

"Oh my God. Cassie. Don't worry; I'm going to book a flight. I'll be there as soon as I can, okay? Stay over at Bailey's until I arrive. Keep your phone on." His voice sounded strangled, and it was almost as if he were on the verge of tears. Cassandra knew that her father still held feelings for her mother, and she knew that this situation dealt a heavy blow to his heart.

"Alright, dad."

She was asked a few more questions, and then allowed to go home. Her dad would be there in about four or five hours, and she did as she was told: she stayed over at Bailey's. She felt completely numb – her world had been turned upside down all in a matter of hours. She was aware of the fact that she would more than likely have to move to Washington with her dad, and although she would be leaving her friends behind, she was okay with that. She wanted to get away from this place.

The next week and a half passed in a blur. Her mother's funeral had been a fairly large one – the two were quite well known, and many of her mother's friends had shown up to pay their respects. After that, she had begun packing her things, because, like she had thought, she would be moving to Washington.

She soon found herself on United Airways heading to Seattle. Her dad had explained to her that he lived in La Push, the tiny Quileute reservation on the edge of Forks. Her dad was full-blooded Quileute, so it was no surprise that he returned to his true home. Her mother was a German immigrant who moved to the United States in the summer of 1970; the two met at a Sex Pistols concert. She had inherited her father's Native American looks: coppery skin, only slightly lighter due to her mother's genes, long, raven-colored hair, and high cheekbones. Her eyes, however, she got from her mother: a vivid green with amber flecks. All in all, she was beautiful, but she still felt out of place among a town full of what her father's people would call 'pale-faces'.

"Cassie, you're going to love it there, trust me. All of the people are very friendly. The only downside is, everyone knows your business – the problem with such small towns." She smiled at her father. She really had missed him, and, although they had not lived together in basically ten years, she did not feel the slightest bit uncomfortable – it was as if he had never left.

Her father, himself, was a big man. He stood at a startling height of 6'5, and had raven-colored hair that was cropped short. He didn't look a day over twenty-five, at the most. She didn't know if he was always this big; she hadn't seen him in person for a while, and there were no pictures of him to look at. Her mother made sure to delete every visible piece of evidence of him from their life – this was another thing that had Cassie confused, now that she thought of it.

The captain's voice floated through the speakers announcing that they were beginning their descent into Seattle. From there, they would have to take a small flight to Fork's Airport, and then make a thirty-minute drive to the reservation. Cassandra felt worn out already, and just wanted to arrive at her new home as fast as she could.

"Now, Cassie, there are a few things I should tell you before we get there." The two had just settled themselves into the small aircraft, and were awaiting departure.

"Okay. What, are you some pimp-daddy, now?" She laughed at his expression, and he, too joined in her laughter.

"No, not quite, although the thought did cross my mind a few times. Your dads' got it going on." He ran his hand through his hair, and struck a pose, which Cassandra thought was supposed to be sexy, supposed being the keyword. "But, seriously. I share a house with a few friends of mine – three to be exact. A few of them are around your age, actually."

Cassie felt her eyes widen. She would be staying in a house with three guys who weren't related to her? Wow. She could just picture the great amount of awkwardness that would be sure to follow her arrival.

"Dad, do you have any idea how weird that might be? Four guys, and one girl sharing a house? A teenage girl, might I add?"

Her dad looked at her and smiled sheepishly. "We could put you in the shed if you want – you won't even know we're there. It'll be like your own little cottage."

She felt her mouth widen into an O, and lightly slapped her dad on the arm. "That is so not funny!" Apparently, he found it funny, because he soon erupted into a fit of laughter.

"Just how old are the guys staying with you?"

"Well, Embry and Paul are twenty, and Jared is twenty-two."

_Okay, not so bad. They're closer to my age than I thought._ "Okay, that doesn't sound so bad. They are aware that I'm coming, right?"

"Yeah, everyone there knows you're coming, actually. Like I said, news travels fast. Those three, with the guidance of Emily and Kim, are cleaning up the house, and fixing up your room."

She nodded her head and stared out of the window at the vast amount of green below her. In about two hours she would be home free, and she would be introduced to the strangers that her dad lived with. Curiosity had indeed slapped her in the face, because she found herself wondering about the people she would come to meet. _Only a matter of time. _


	2. Guys and Tampons

The flight and drive didn't seem to take as long as Cassie thought it would, or maybe she was just imagining things. They pulled up in front of a two-story, pale blue house that seemed to be bustling with activity.

"Well, looks like everyone decided to come and help out."

Cassandra took a deep breath. "Everyone? Who is everyone, dad? There are at least seven cars sitting outside of this house – that is not a good sign."

"The whole gang: Sam, Seth, Collin, Brady, Quil, Jake, along with Paul, Jared, Kim, Emily, and Embry. They're really excited about meeting you, ya' know. Try to be social, okay? You would have ended up meeting all of them, anyway, so relax."

"Uh, okay." Cassandra felt fear strike her as she made her way up the front steps. She was never one to be afraid of meeting new people, but this time she felt different. Maybe it was the atmosphere, or the fact that she was in such a small town where everyone knew everyone – a town where she would be a newcomer, or maybe an outsider.

Her dad opened the door to the house, and inside she could hear a great amount of talking. To her, it sounded like giants conversing with fairies – great booming voices, followed by small, equally booming voices. Obviously there was an argument going on.

Cassandra followed her dad to what appeared to be the living room.

"Embry, you dumbass, you're not supposed to use furniture cleaner on electronics. They invented special wipes for that."

"Look, how was I supposed to know that? I barely do any cleaning. Get off my back."

"Boys, calm down and stop arguing. They'll be here soon."

Somehow, no one noticed that the two were standing in the doorway until Cassie's dad cleared his throat. All heads turned to look in their direction, and Cassie widened her eyes in amazement.

_By damn – all of them are gorgeous and all the men look the same. How strange. _She inspected every face, and took them all in. _Yep, all the guys are super hot and the girls are models._ She figured she missed something important, because one minute, everyone was staring at her, and then the biggest guy in the room was leading another guy out of the room, and out of the front door. She blinked in confusion.

"Hmm, anyway, guys this is Cassandra, my daughter." He looked around. "Leah didn't come?"

"You should know better than that, Aidan. Leah's not the social type, and I don't think she was interested in seeing another female who could possibly be an imprintee."

After everyone said their hellos, the two females rushed forward and crushed Cassie into a hug, one by one.

"Hi, I'm Emily. I'm so happy to finally meet you! Your dad is always talking about you."

I looked at my dad, smiled and then looked at the other girl.

"I'm Kim. Nice to meet you."

_Well, they seem nice enough._

"Let's introduce you to everyone else, shall we?" Emily started off with the person standing to Cassie's right. "Okay, so that's Quil, Seth, Embry, Paul, Seth, Collin, and Brady. The very big guy who left the room is Sam, and the one he took with him is Jacob."

"Okay. Uhm, are all Quileute men supposed to be this big?" Everyone laughed, even though Cassie was one hundred percent serious in asking her question.

"I guess it's something in the water." Emily glanced around the room, and Cassie noticed that everyone wore the same smirk: they were hiding something.

"Well, Cassie, how about we head up to your new room?" Cassie's dad motioned for her to follow him up the stairs. He walked to the end of the hall, and stopped at a door on the right at the end of the hall.

"Dad, do I have to share a bathroom with you guys?" She sounded a bit snobby, but she shuddered at the idea of sharing a bathroom with four guys. _Imagine if they found tampons or something. It would be really funny if they didn't know what they were. _She snickered at the thought, which earned her a look from her father.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, I'm just thinking about what would happen if one of the guys stumbles upon a tampon - ya' know, like if they don't know what it is, and think it's something totally different from what it actually is." Cassie's dad's eyes widened and he looked a bit uncomfortable.

"Yeah, that would be a bit funny, I guess." He laughed. "I could picture Paul stumbling upon it, actually. He's probably the one who wouldn't have a clue what it was."

The two snickered at the thought. Maybe living in a house full of guys wouldn't be so bad – there would be a lot of jokes, she mused.

Her dad opened the door, and her breath caught. The room was beautiful. It was a fair size, and painted an apple green, her favorite color. Sure, La Push had a lot of green, but apple green was completely different from the moss green that surrounded her. Yes, Cassie was particular when it came to colors. There were sky blue and cream accents – bedding, pillows, and curtains. The furniture and flooring were a dark cherry color – real wood – and it fit in with the colors perfectly.

"Do you like it?"

"Like it? I love it dad! It's perfect." Her dad smiled at her.

"Well, good. I told them to leave wall space for your pictures and of course, for your artwork that'll be arriving soon. I guess I'll leave you to get unpacked, then. Oh, and around seven we're heading over to Sam and Emily's for dinner, so be ready by then."

"Alright. Thanks, dad. Oh, and tell everyone else thanks, if they're still down there."

"Sure, kiddo."

With that, Cassie's father walked out of her room and closed the door. She surveyed the room and the great amount of boxes that were piled in various places on the floor. _Well, might as well get started. I have about six hours to get most of this done._

After fishing out her iPod and its speakers, Cassie started with the most basic and possibly easiest items to organize – her clothes. One by one she unpacked each box labeled with 'clothing' and put them away in their respective places. She and her mother were pretty well off back in Colorado, so she had quite a few things. Next came her electronics; Cassie was a self-proclaimed Apple freak. She didn't care about what the great Microsoft users had to say – she loved her Mac, her iPod and every other great accessory that came with it. She set her MacBook on the desk, and proceeded to look for Internet cables. Apparently, there were none. _I hope to God dad has wireless access, or else I'm in a jam._

Surprisingly, Cassie managed to unpack everything within a small amount of time; she estimated it was about three or four hours. With one look at all of the boxes in the room, someone would have thought it would take longer to unpack, but Cassie was a fast and effective worker. There were still a few boxes that were being shipped, such as her art supplies and books, but she would deal with those when they came.

Cassie decided that she would take a shower and start getting ready for dinner. She grabbed her matching bra and panties, locked her bedroom door and headed to her adjoining bathroom. The bathroom was also nicely decorated, matching her bedroom perfectly. The tiles were a cream color, and very stone-like. There was a dark cherry wood vanity, matching cabinet and a large mirror. There was no bathtub, but a walk-in shower, covered in the same tiles as on the floor. All in all, it was pretty nice. She turned the knob in the shower to somewhere between warm and hot, just how she liked it.

She stepped in and allowed the water to work its magic. She was a bit tired from the events of the day, but slowly the heat was bringing her back to life. While washing her hair, Cassie thought of how she came to be in this new place.

The days following her mother's death she went to see a psychiatrist, after much negotiating with her father. She didn't want to go to the 'shrink', as she called it, but her father thought that it would be a good idea. So, much to her father's pleasure, she went, and she was actually a bit happy that she did. She was never one to keep things bottled up, so she found herself conversing with the psychiatrist quite easily. The visits did help her, but she couldn't help feeling a bit sad when she thought of her mother – she was close to her, after all, and it was only the two together for ten years.

She knew most of the details of her mother's murder: body drained of blood, and two puncture wounds on the neck, synonymous with that of a vampire bite. Now, she didn't really have an exact opinion on the supernatural world; she was a bit in between: she never saw anything out of the ordinary, but she still felt that there were things out there that were unexplainable and unknown.

Her mother's murder did strike her as odd, and with the other murders occurring, she had to wonder the motive behind it all. None of the victims had anything in common, really: old women, children, young men, and teenagers; they all came from different backgrounds, social classes, religions and races. There was nothing that would suggest a link between the murders. This fact had her thinking really hard upon two options: one, the person behind the murders just felt like killing random people at random times, but with the same method (besides the burning) or two, which was probably a bit impossible, vampires were real and out hunting. She laughed a bit at the second option, feeling mental. Maybe her mother's murder was getting to her unlike she had originally thought.

She turned off the water and wrapped the towel around her petite body. She stood at 5 foot 4, and when in the room with the giants who were the Quileute men, she felt like a hobbit. She still pondered the reasons behind her mother's death while drying off and getting dressed. There was absolutely no reason for someone to kill her mother – none at all. She was at a standstill; the two options she had come up with were looking very likely, even the vampire theory.

After she had completed her normal hair and makeup routine, she made her way downstairs to where she heard the announcer for what she assumed was football. This sparked her interest: she was a football fan, and the playoffs were in session.

She entered the living room to find five men seated around the TV: Jared, Paul, Embry, Quil, and her dad. She plopped down on the couch in between Quil and her dad and focused on the TV. Her team, the New England Patriots, was playing against the New Orleans Saints, and they were up a good amount. When her team made a touchdown, she let out a loud "Yes!" and hopped up. One more and they would win the game. She kneeled down in front of the TV in anticipation and watched as Tom Brady and his teammates carried out their play, leading to the winning touchdown.

"Ha! I love you Reggie Bush, but you guys aren't doing so hot this season, huh?" She sat back in contentment, and only then did she notice the stares aimed in her direction.

"What? Aren't girls allowed to like football?" She questioned with raised eyebrows.

Quil spoke up. "Yeah, but we're not really used to it. Emily and Kim hardly ever watch football with us and enjoy it and Claire is too young to even know what football is. We're suffering from shock."

"Aw, how sad. Well, the question is: who's your team?" She glared at him.

"Patriots."

"Good choice, man." She gave him thumbs up.

"Cassie, when did you start watching football?" Her dad asked with genuine curiosity.

"Back in eighth grade when I had a crush on the quarterback of my high school team. I thought it would be good to know about football in the event he would notice me, and after watching it once, I was hooked. As for my choice, I thought Tom Brady was hot, but after watching for a while, the Patriots seemed like a pretty good team to root for."

They all looked at her like she had four heads. "What?"

"Nothing." Her dad looked at his watch and stood up. "Well, time to get going."

They all piled out the living room, and headed to the cars. Cassie, Quil, Embry and Cassie's dad all piled into one car, while Paul and Jared hopped into a separate car. Within seconds they were off to Emily's house.


	3. Ray of Sunshine

Cassie walked into Emily's house with the guys and was greeted by the beautiful aroma of food. Immediately, the guys went to what she assumed was the kitchen, leaving her standing in the doorway. _Gee, thanks dad._ She ventured further and turned to her right, entering the living room where a few people were seated. She scanned the room and saw most of the people she met earlier, along with a girl, who she assumed was Leah. Leah looked at her and scowled, an action that Cassie raised an eyebrow at. She looked around again, and her eyes landed on Jacob, who was staring at her.

Jacob's eyes focused on something behind her, and only then did she notice someone towering over her. She turned and came face to face with her dad.

"Oh, hey, dad. How nice of you to come and find me after leaving me in the doorway alone."

He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, but food called."

Cassie rolled her eyes and followed her dad to the couch. He sat on the end, leaving a space between himself and Jacob. She plopped down in the middle and became aware of the immense amount of heat Jacob was giving off. She knew that her dad had the same abnormal body temperature, but for some reason, she was more attuned to Jacob. She let her eyes rest on the TV and tried to ignore the thoughts that were attacking her mind._ I only just got here, for Pete's sake. I don't even know the guy, yet I'm sitting here, ready to jump him. Get a grip, Cassie._

"Dinner's ready!" Emily's voice sounded throughout the living room and immediately the guys hopped up and scrambled to the kitchen. "Girls first – you all know that." An array of groans and mumbles were heard as the hungry men shuffled back into the living room.

Jacob turned to me and smiled. "You should go get your food. After we're through, there won't be any left."

Cassie pursed her lips, and smiled. "Pack of hungry wolves, huh?"

A look of shock passed across his face and he reluctantly smiled. "You could say that."

She got up and entered the kitchen, trying to figure out why he reacted the way he did to that statement. She didn't think long for the food laid out in front of her sent her into a trance. _Oh heavens, this looks good. _She filled her plate with as much food it could fit and sat at the kitchen table. Once all the women were seated with their food, the guys filed in and began filling their plates. One by one they sat down at the long table, and began to dig in. Cassie's dad sat to her right, and Jacob grabbed the seat to her left.

Cassie was really starting to wonder about this Jacob. The weird occurrence in her living room already had her thinking, but the more she thought, the more she noticed. Jacob stared at her in a way that was far from normal. Not, "Oh, you're a freak" stare, but perhaps something along the lines of, "You're an angel sent from above" kind of stare. That really had her perplexed. Did the guy never see any females, aside from the three sitting at the table with them? Did he have problems with finding a girl he liked? _No, that can't be it. He's gorgeous – why would he have that problem? Females should be flocking around him like moths to light. Maybe he has a bad personality. No, it doesn't seem like it; he seems like a pretty good guy. _

"Is something wrong, Cassie? You kind of just went off into a trance." Everyone stopped eating and turned their gazes towards her. Cassie groaned internally. _Thanks for putting attention on me, Kim._

"Uhm, no, I'm fine. Just thinking of something, is all." Cassie gave a small, reassuring smile and returned to eating her delicious food. _Maybe I should leave my Jacob thoughts for when I'm home. _Cassie finished her food, and for some reason, she still wasn't satisfied.

"There aren't any leftovers, are there?" She looked at the kitchen counters with a small ounce of hope that was soon extinguished.

"Nope. Everything has been devoured by the pigs surrounding you." Kim gave me an apologetic look and then smiled.

Cassie sighed. She didn't know where the sudden hunger came from. Normally, she could eat one full plate and be satisfied, but tonight she ate the one full plate and still wanted more. _Maybe it's the events of the day._

She got up from the table and placed her dish in the sink. "Emily, do you want any help with the dishes?"

"Sure. I'll wash and you dry."

The two started on the dishes while Kim, Leah and the boys went back into the living room.

"Hey, Emily."

"Hmm."

"Why does Jacob look at me like that?"

Emily nearly dropped her dish, but regained her composure.

"Like what?"

"It's like he's seeing the sun for the first time. It's flattering, I'll admit, but kind of weird since he just met me."

"Maybe he is seeing the sun for the first time. He's been through a lot in the last few weeks, so maybe you're his ray of sunshine through the storm."

Cassie pondered that. "So, he wants a relationship with me?"

"Maybe, maybe not. I think right now he just wants to get to know you. Give him a chance – he's a really great guy, I promise."

Cassie nodded her head and mumbled a quiet 'Okay' and proceeded to finish drying the dishes. Within minutes, they had finished and cleaned up the rest of the kitchen.

Emily walked out of the kitchen to sit besides Sam, who, by now, Cassie had figured out was her significant other. She noticed the look Sam gave her and immediately associated it with the one Jacob gave her: pure adoration and love. She looked around the room and also noticed that Jared was giving Kim the same look. _Something is definitely up. I feel it. _

"Cassie, you ready to go?"

"Huh?"

Her dad chuckled. "I said, are you ready to go?"

"Oh, sure. Yeah."

"Alright, guys, we're heading off."

"Hey, Cassie." She turned her head towards Kim who had spoken to her.

"Yeah?"

"You wanna' head to the beach with us tomorrow? It's supposed to be sunny out, so we're all heading to First Beach to enjoy the weather."

"Sure, that would be nice."

"Alright, we'll pick you up around ten."

Cassie nodded her head, and followed her dad out to the car. "Isn't Embry coming with us?"

"Nah, he'll catch a ride back."

"Oh."

The ride home was silent. Once at home, Cassie went straight to her room, only to collapse on the bed. She was tired, and she wanted to sleep. Gradually, her eyes closed, and she was greeted by the image of a smiling Jacob. Involuntarily, she smiled. She could get used to seeing his face every night.


	4. The Huge, Shirtless, Hot Men Thing

Cassie awoke early, feeling quite rested. She looked over at her alarm clock and saw that it was only seven in the morning; she got up and stretched, then decided to take a shower. Even if she was only going to the beach, she still wanted to have that refreshed feeling that hot water always so generously provides.

She didn't take long in the bathroom. Once she was finished, she put on her yellow and blue bikini, and threw on a pair of short-shorts and a tank top. She flitted down the stairs and headed to the kitchen. No one else was up, so she figured she would start on breakfast. _That's a sure fire way to wake them up._

She started whipping up the mixture for scrambled eggs, and put some bacon and sausages on the frying pan. She continued with this until she thought she had enough food to feed the four hungry men who lived with her, and herself. As the scents wafted through the house, shuffling and thumps could be heard from upstairs. She chuckled to herself as, one by one, the four guys came through the kitchen door.

"Morning, sleepy heads. I figured this would get you guys up."

All four of the guys looked like complete bed-heads, but they acknowledged her with a nod and her dad smiled at her.

She filled their plates up, and then loaded her own plate. _Man, my appetite really is growing. How strange. _Once again, she felt the huge force of hunger, much stronger than normal, hit her.

They ate in silence, only a few moans of delight coming from one of the guys once in a while.

"It's so nice to have a girl in the house. Now, we don't have to rely on take-out so much when Emily kicks us out."

Jared, Paul and Cassie's dad nodded their heads in agreement with Embry, but Cassie was too caught up in her own thoughts to notice. _Jacob. _She wondered if he would be at the beach today.

"Hey, are you guys going to the beach too?"

"Paul, Embry and Jared are going. I'm heading off to Port Angeles to meet with an old friend."

Cassie glanced at her father. _Old friend, huh._ "Sure, sure. Do you know who else is going?"

Paul laughed. "You might as well ask what you really want to know. You're not fooling anyone." Cassie raised her eyebrows at Paul. "You want to know if Jacob will be there."

Cassie's eyes widened. "N-No. I just wanted to know who all would be there. That's all. No one in particular I was wondering about."

Paul, Embry, Jared, and her dad looked at her with an expression that said, "_Right, we believe you… not really. We'll pretend we do, though, just for your sake_."

"Whatever you say, Cass." Her dad mused.

"Aren't you supposed to be freaking out over that, though? Like, if I was 'interested' in seeing Jacob at the beach. Shouldn't my 'inquiry' worry you?"

"In case you haven't noticed, Cass, I'm not your average father figure. And, further more, if you were interested in Jacob, I wouldn't mind – he's a great kid."

"Yeah, everyone is saying that." She mumbled to herself. Obviously, they heard her because they chuckled. "Anyway, you guys get to do the dishes and clean up since I cooked breakfast."

The three groaned and slowly got to work. _Ah, the power of a woman…and food._

She headed back upstairs and sat at her desk. She turned on her laptop and discovered that there was, indeed, wireless Internet connection. _Good to know dad isn't as primitive as I originally thought._ She checked her email and found that a few of her friends emailed her. Most of the messages were the same: how's life going, what she's up to, and from the girls, inquiries about any possible hot guys. She typed up her responses and sent them off.

She surfed the Internet a bit when an idea hit her. In the Google search box, she typed in 'vampires'. She didn't really know why she did, but she was genuinely curious. She scanned through the pages until she came upon a title that caught her attention: "Old Quileute Legends: Vampires and Werewolves". She clicked on the link and scanned through the information. According to the website, the Quileutes referred to 'vampires' as the 'cold ones'. The Quileute men were apparently descended from wolves, and their one natural enemy was the vampire; they existed to destroy the 'cold ones' and protect their land. _This is interesting. I wonder why dad never bothered telling me about this._ She continued to scan through the page, but didn't see much more that could help her.

She checked the clock and found that it was nine o' clock. _Wow, I've been researching that long? _She got up and started to pack her tote for the beach. After she was sure she had what she needed, she plopped down on her bed and turned her iPod on. She listened to some of her favorite songs while she waited. She couldn't help but let her thoughts wonder to Jacob, yet again. _Man, I'm getting in too deep with this dude. I barely know him._

She sat there for a while just swimming in the thoughts of Jacob until she heard a car pull up outside.

"Cassie! Kim and Emily are here to pick you up!" Her dad's voice boomed up the stairs. _I just realized; why can't I go with Paul, Embry and Jared?_ Cassie grabbed her tote and headed down the stairs and out of the front door. Paul, Jared and Embry were pilling into Paul's jeep, which, now that she looked at it, didn't look as though it could fit any more people. She headed over to where Emily and Kim were, and got in the back seat. She wasn't really paying attention to who was in the back, but once she was settled and she looked to her right, she discovered Jacob staring at her. Her eyes widened.

"Uhm, hey Jake… didn't see you sitting there." She laughed a little embarrassed and Jacob smiled.

"I'm not that hard to miss, am I?"

"Oh, no…you're not hard to miss at all." She mumbled, but from the look on Jacob's face, he had clearly heard her.

As they started to head to the beach, Cassie turned to stare out of the window. It was truly a beautiful day, and she was very grateful that the sun had decided to make an appearance. She was extremely aware of the gorgeous boy sitting next to her, and that made it very hard to concentrate. She tried very hard to keep her mind from wandering to Jake, but she found it nearly impossible. Cassie was a naturally observant person, and although she had only been in La Push for two days, she had already decided that Jake was indeed a great guy. She could feel it, deep down.

Soon, the path that led to First Beach appeared, and the car slowed to a stop. She hopped out and started walking, before making a sudden stop and turning around.

"Hey, Em, do you need any help with the stuff that you brought?"

"Nah, we're good. Jake over here carries twice as much as Kim and I." She smiled at Jake, who rolled his eyes and also smiled. Cassie nodded her head, and walked off in a daze. Jake had officially dazzled her. Yes, dazzled. She wasn't aware that people could actually do that, but now she knew better.

As the water came into view, Cassie stopped to admire the sight. Although First Beach was nothing compared to the beaches in The Bahamas (she and her mother had been once, on vacation), it was beautiful in its own way. The water sparkled under the bright sun, and little kids and teenagers ran along the edge of the water. She followed after Emily, Kim and Jake, and helped them set up. Jared, Paul and Embry showed up a few minutes later, followed by Quil, Sam, Seth, Brady, Collin and a little girl whom she did not recognize.

"Hey, Em, whose the little girl?"

"Oh, that's Claire, my niece. Quil is like her personal babysitter, so you'll be seeing her often." She smiled at Cassie and turned her gaze towards the little girl who came bounding up to her.

"Auntie Em!" Claire ran up and hugged Emily with as much strength as she could muster.

Most of the guys were already wet and swimming about, so Cassie stripped down and made her way to the water. She felt a pair of eyes on her as she was walking, and noticed Jacob staring at her. She felt her cheeks redden. _Well, now I know he isn't as subtle as I thought._

The water was just the right temperature – a mix between warm and cold, but not hot. She swam out a little deeper and enjoyed the feeling of the water, cooling her down and relaxing her at the same time. She stayed in the water a bit longer, and then joined the rest of the girls on the shore.

"Cassie, how do you like La Push so far?" Kim sat opposite Cassie munching on a piece of watermelon.

"Uhm, it's nice, I guess. I like the forest, and the rain, too. I could definitely get used to the sights around here." She didn't know if Kim picked up on the double meaning behind her words, but there was one particular sight she was referring to.

Emily decided to take a seat next to Kim. "So, any boyfriends in the picture?"

Cassie's eyes widened a bit and her cheeks turned a bit pink. "Nope. I haven't had a boyfriend in a while."

Kim and Emily exchanged a glance and their smiles widened. "I see. Are you hoping to change that anytime soon?"

"Uhm. I don't know." She stumbled on her words. They were up to something. "Maybe?"

Emily nodded her head and turned her attention to the swarm of huge, shirtless men that were making their way over to the three girls. They were still a little distance away.

"Do you guys ever get used to that?" Cassie made sure to emphasize the last word.

"Get used to what?"

"The whole huge, shirtless, hot men thing." Cassie still was stumped over how there could be so many gorgeous men in one area without a catch.

Emily and Kim shared a laugh. "Well, you feel like you get used to it, but then you find yourself being amazed all over again."

She sighed. So, this was not something that would easily pass. Sam made his way over to Emily and kissed her on the cheek. Cassie watched and couldn't help but wish she had that. Jacob sat down next to her, putting a tiny bit of distance between the two of them. She glanced at him and nearly jumped him. A wet, half naked Jacob in such close proximity is a dangerous situation to be caught in. She took in deep breaths, trying to calm her hormones. She caught Kim staring at her and her eyes widened. Kim let a smirk take over her features.

"Kim, what are you smirking at?" Jared came over and sat next to her, also kissing her on the cheek.

Her gaze never left my face. "Oh, nothing. I'm just observing something." Cassie looked away in embarrassment and nimbly scratched the back of her neck.

"Alright, who's ready to eat?" All that could be heard were the excited words of the men that surrounded Cassie. It would be unwise to get in between these men and their food. Her stomach growled in protest; she felt as though her appetite was adapting to that of the men she was in the presence of.

After she got her food, she allowed herself to reflect. Reflecting was a common thing for Cassie to do. _This is definitely an interesting place, with a lot of interesting people. Kim and Emily are up to something; I can feel it. _She stole a glance at the two women and narrowed her eyes. She would find out what they were planning eventually.


	5. It's La Push, Man

**A/N:** I completely forgot what I wanted to write up here, but thanks to **shaybay55, NOelly, socrbrat11, **and **crazyapril** for reviewing. I went on a little tangent and wrote up two chapters. Hope you guys like it.

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_Emily's House, Featuring: Aidan_

"She's only been here for a few days and already you can notice the difference. I didn't think it would happen so fast."

"It's La Push, man. The place is bad for your genes."

Aidan glared at Embry as he reclined in the chair and stretched his hands above his head. He was aware of the possibility that Cassie would more than likely inherit the werewolf gene, but he never thought that her transformation would begin so quickly.

While he didn't hate it, Aidan recalled times when he wished he weren't a shape-shifter, more specifically the time his ex-wife found out. It was that sighting that caused their divorce, and ultimately, his move back to Washington. Amelia wasn't his imprint, and he knew the risk behind pursuing a relationship with her, but they had been married for over nine years and, up to this day, he still hadn't found his imprint. He was beginning to wonder if he would ever find his supposed soulmate.

Amelia didn't take the fact that he was a werewolf too well. In fact, she screamed at him to pack his 'shit', get out of her house and never come back. A week later, he received the divorce papers, and a few months after that, he was on his way back to his native La Push. She didn't even try to understand, or accept him – she just threw him out.

So, once he returned home, he took up patrolling and phasing again. He reconnected with Sam and the pack, and he resumed looking young. He still thought about his daughter constantly and he wished more than anything that he could see her. He was happy she was with him once again, but he really wished the circumstances under which she came were different.

"When do you think she'll actually change, Sam?"

"Soon. You can see the difference in her height already. Her appetite is increasing as well. Does she seem bothered by the weather at all?"

"Now that I think about it, no. She isn't wearing as much clothes as she first did." Aidan cringed thinking of the pain his daughter would have to endure once she did, in fact, begin to change.

"Just keep her under your watch."

The men resumed watching TV or thinking to themselves. Aidan could either choose to warn Cassie beforehand, or just let things take their course and explain afterwards. If he told her beforehand, she would more than likely be jumpy and nervous, which, now that he thought about it, wouldn't be a very good idea. He let out a sigh and ran his hand through his hair. He would just let things take their course and hope his daughter was strong enough to handle it.

* * *

_Cassie's House, Featuring: Cassie_

It was eleven o' clock and Cassie still hadn't moved from her position on the bed. She felt like total crap, and what was even worse was the fact that she was irritable. _It's got to be the weather. Damn La Push and its damn rain._ She let out a frustrated sigh and sat up, only to lay back down once a bout of nausea hit her. _This fucking sucks!_ A snarl made its way past her lips and she froze in confusion. _What the hell was that? Since when do I snarl?_ She started to sit up again, slowly this time, and once she was up, she put her head in her hands. Her head was killing her. She slowly swung her legs over the side of the bed, and like a baby taking its first steps, she made her way to the bathroom. She searched through her cabinets until she came across a bottle of painkillers. She popped three in her mouth and dry swallowed.

She glanced at herself in the mirror and stifled a groan. She looked like a complete mess. _I need a shower._ Without a second thought, she stripped and stepped into her little alcove. She turned the knob all the way to the left – the hottest the water could possibly get. She stood waiting for some relief, but it never came - the water just felt warm to her. She narrowed her eyes in frustration and began to lather her bath sponge. She didn't know what the hell was going on with her, but it was really pissing her off.

She stood in the shower until she started to prune. The hot water had run out, and she sincerely hoped that everyone had already taken a shower for the morning, or they were shit out of luck. Now that she thought about it, it probably wouldn't matter to any of the guys anyway – they all have an abnormal temperature, so they probably wouldn't mind a bit of cold water. She froze as a realization hit her. Her eyes widened in surprise. _I'm becoming like them._

She didn't know what to feel as the thought occurred to her. _It shouldn't be a big deal, right? They're just regular human beings. Maybe it's a coincidence that they all look a like. I mean, a lot of Quileutes look a like, right? _She tried to control the panic that tore at her chest. Cassie knew deep down that it was more than that, she just didn't know the full details. She knew it wasn't just a coincidence.

She dressed in a daze and slowly made her way downstairs, only to discover the house was empty. She checked all of the rooms and stopped once she was in the kitchen. There was a note on the refrigerator.

_Cassie, _

_We're all over at Emily's. Come if you want._

_Dad_

So, they left her. She looked at the clock on the stove: twelve o' five. She opened the fridge and got herself some orange juice. _ A bit of Vitamin C should help._ She downed the drink and set the cup in the sink. _Maybe I should go to Emily's. _She made her way to the door and slipped on her converse.

There were no cars in the driveway, which meant that Cassie had to walk. She remembered the way to Emily's, and was thankful that it wasn't too far away. She began her trek, not really noticing what was going on around her. The streets were deserted, and there was no one outside. When she was about two doors away from Emily's house, a sickly-sweet smell hit her nose. She wrinkled it in disgust and her face screwed up. She looked around but she couldn't see anything. She had made it to Emily's front door, and was about to enter when she felt someone looking at her.

She looked around again and could make out the faint outline of someone standing in the woods opposite her. She narrowed her eyes and her vision cleared. It was a man – a very pale man – with blood red eyes and brown hair. She blinked, thinking she was imagining things, and when she looked again, there was no one there. She narrowed her eyes again and turned back towards the door.

When she walked into the foyer, she was greeted by the sounds of excited yelling. She covered her ears; for some reason, her hearing was super sensitive this morning. She walked towards the living room to be greeted by the sight of Jake and Embry playing Guitar Hero. She looked around the room and noticed that most of the group was caught up in the game, including her dad. She turned around and went into the kitchen.

"Afternoon, Emily." She pulled a chair out and sat down.

"Hey Cass." Cassie watched as Emily's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "You feeling alright? You don't look too well."

"Ah, just a little under the weather. I think it's all the rain around here."

Emily nodded and a knowing look crossed her features. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah. I haven't had any breakfast, so I'm starved."

"Well, lunch will soon be ready. Think you could wait a few more minutes?"

"Sure."

Cassie rested her head on her arms and stared out of the window into the woods. Her eyes roamed the tree line trying to spot the man she saw earlier, but all she could see was green. She let her eyes close and tried to tune out the sounds of the boys in the next room.

"Cassie!" She jumped, startled, and growled. She looked up and came face to face with a wide-eyed Seth.

"What?"

Seth started to back away from her. "Uhm, never mind. Sorry I disturbed you." He turned his back and went into the living room. She sighed and rested her head in the crook of her arms once again.

"Dude, she growled at me." Cassie could make out the whispers passing in the next room. She listened harder.

"She growled?"

"Yeah. The look on her face was murderous."

"It's started."

She scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. _What's started?_ The more she tried to think, the more her head hurt. _Why haven't those damn painkillers kicked in yet?_ She sucked in a breath and lifted her head again. It was still only she and Emily in the kitchen. _Good, no one else decided to try and scare the crap out of me. _She turned her head a bit to look into the part of the living room that was visible from where she was sitting. From the table, she could see Embry and a part of her dad standing – Jake must have lost. Her eyes moved over to the right and saw Jake sitting in the loveseat. He was watching the game with a smile on his face. Embry let out a loud shout announcing that he lost, which caused Jake to erupt into laughter. Cassie smiled.

"Cassie, food's ready. Come fix your plate."

Cassie stood up slowly and made her way to the counter. She filled her plate and sat back down.

"Boys, lunch is ready!" All of the guys started making their way into the kitchen and filling their plates. Jake once again sat to her right, and her dad to her left.

"Hey Cassie." She looked over at Jake and let a small smile grace her lips. "Hey Jake."

Jacob returned his focus to his food, but kept glancing at Cassie. Now that she thought about it, everyone kept glancing at her. They all had anxious, wary looks on their face when they looked at her. Cassie kept her head down and glared at her plate. What the hell was their problem?


	6. I'm Naked?

_Jacob returned his focus to his food, but kept glancing at Cassie. Now that she thought about it, everyone kept glancing at her. They all had anxious, wary looks on their face when they looked at her. Cassie kept her head down and glared at her plate. What the hell was their problem?_

_

* * *

  
_

She was angry for some reason. She didn't know why, but she knew that their constant glances were pissing her off. She felt a tremor run down her spine and she gasped. Everyone's heads turned to look in her direction.

Cassie couldn't concentrate anymore. The only thing she could feel was the pain that was growing stronger with every second. She pushed her chair back, sending it across the room and stumbled into the foyer. She fumbled with the door and made her way onto the grass only to sink to her knees.

She felt like she was on fire. Everything was burning. She groaned and was two seconds away from screaming. She was only vaguely aware of the voices around her.

"Cassie, it's going to be okay."

"Relax, baby. It'll be fine." Her dad's voice floated around her.

"Daddy, what's happening to me?" She whimpered. That was the first time she had called him Daddy in a long while.

"You're going to change. I'll explain everything to you later, I promise."

She barely managed to choke out an 'okay' when another tremor made it's way down her spine. That's when the pain intensified. Every bone in her body felt like it was realigning. Every joint and muscle was changing – rearranging. To Cassie, it felt like someone was pulling her apart and piecing her back together again. Her body stretched and grew, and she could feel every part of it. What was worse was the fact that she could feel her skull changing. It was like it was being split in half and put back together to form something bigger, more canine like. Her skin no longer felt like skin – she could feel the rustle of the wind move the hairs on her body. She could feel all of the teeth in her mouth, but more specifically the long incisors that took their place in the front section of her jaw. Finally, she felt the ground beneath her _paws._

Just like that, it was over. Cassie lifted her head and looked around. Everything was enhanced; she could see dust particles floating in the air, and pieces of a shattered bottle lying in the road. She could smell the scent of the approaching storm and the earth. She could hear the trees rustle in the wind, and the sound of a car on the next road over. She could feel the dirt as it loosened beneath her paws. _Paws._ She looked down at herself and then she looked around. Behind her, the group was looking at her. Her eyes stopped on another wolf, a massive black wolf.

"_Cassie, it's Sam."_

"_What happened to me? What am I? What are you?"_

"_You're a werewolf. Once you phase back, we'll explain everything to you in detail. Follow me into the woods. We need to keep you hidden for the time being."_

Cassie did as she was told and followed Sam to the back of the house and into the outskirts of the woods. She sat down on the grass and became aware of the thoughts that swarmed her head - thoughts of Emily and Leah and the _pack._ She realized that she could see inside of Sam's head. Just as soon as she thought about it, it disappeared. She was alone. Sam reappeared in her line of vision, except he was human again.

"I'm going to send your dad out here. Maybe we should just start explaining now."

He turned and began walking towards the group who had now relocated to the backside of the house. Only a few people were there: Jake, Aidan, Leah and Emily.

Soon, Cassie's father made his way over to where she was sitting. He sat down in front of her.

"Okay. So, I'll just tell you what you need to know and if you have questions, you can ask later I guess. Well, remember the legends I used to tell you when you were little?"

He looked to Cassie and she nodded her head once.

"Yeah, well, they're true. All of the guys and Leah can turn into wolves at will. We exist to destroy vampires."

Cassie widened her eyes as a thought occurred to her. It was vampires that killed her mother. She growled. Her dad looked at her in alarm.

"Cassie, calm down. Now, we need to get you to change back. Think about being human. Think of how you look."

Cassie thought of everything human. She thought of how she looked, how her father looked, she even thought of her female body parts. It took her a while, but she finally managed to return to how she was. The only downside was, she was naked.

"What the hell? I'm naked?" She screeched and ran behind a bush. "Dad, get me some clothes will you?"

Cassie's dad looked extremely uncomfortable. "Sure."

He got up and walked to the porch where Jake was standing. She watched with wary eyes as her dad asked Jacob for his shirt. She had been watching Jake's every move. She watched as he lifted his shirt over his head and her eyes trailed up his six-pack, along his chest, across his arms and finally to his face. His eyes met hers and her world stopped, only to start revolving again – around him. She felt as though chains were binding her to him. She couldn't think straight. All she could see was _him –_ Jacob Black. This day just keeps getting stranger and stranger.


	7. Emily Armed With A Frying Pan?

**A/N:** Another chapter! Hope you guys like it. Once again, thanks to **shaybay55, NOelly, **and **crazyapril **for reviewing; it means a lot. Enjoy.

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"So, you're telling me that all of you guys, and me, can turn into giant, furry wolves whenever we want to?"

"Yes."

"And, we exist to kill vampires that cross into our territory?"

"Yes."

Cassie sat on the couch in Emily's house, trying to get a grasp on what her father was telling her. She couldn't say that he was crazy, because she had the firsthand experience of turning into a wolf. If he were crazy, what would that make her?

"Okay, anything else I should know? Oh, wait, how do you kill them? Well, they're already dead, so how do you destroy them?"

"Normally, we rip them to shreds and burn the pieces afterwards." Embry responded to Cassie's question in an excited fashion – it was obvious he enjoyed his job.

"Uh huh. So, that's it?" A few nervous glances were passed around the room. Cassie narrowed her eyes. "What else is there? I don't like how all of you are glancing at each other like that."

"Uhm, Jake do you want to explain it, or should I?" Aidan looked to Jake who was sporting a sheepish expression.

He released a nervous laugh. "I think you would explain it better." Aidan nodded his head in understanding.

"The other thing about being a werewolf, besides enhanced senses and all of that, is imprinting."

"Imprinting? Isn't that something to do with animals following their mothers or something?"

"Not quite – at least not in our case. Imprinting is when we find our soulmates. The moment we see our better half, if you will, it's like our connections with the world are severed and we are only connected to that one person – nobody else matters beside our imprint."

Cassie nodded and her eyes brightened. "So, that means no searching and no trial and error? It's just like "Bam! You're my soulmate?"

Aidan laughed. "Uhm, that's one way of putting it."

"That's cool I guess. Did you imprint, mister?" Cassie narrowed her eyes playfully at her father.

He let out a sigh. "No, but I'm pretty sure you did."

"Uh, what?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you imprinted, and I know for a fact that someone imprinted on you."

Cassie's eyes widened again and she stuck her head forward a bit. "Really? Who?"

"I'm sure you can guess, Cass."

Cassie sat on the sofa and the answer hit her like a brick. "Jake."

"Ding, ding, ding! You're the winner." Cassie threw a pillow at a laughing Embry.

"Shut it, Call."

Cassie's eyes slid over to where Jake was sitting, looking quite nervous. "Why so nervous, Jake? I won't reject you, if that's what you're thinking."

Jake blinked a few times in confusion and then a smile lit up his face. Cassie smiled in return.

"Well, you sure are taking all of this well." Sam's tone was filled with amusement and curiosity.

"Of course. I mean, I always kind of wished stuff like this happened. And, the whole soulmate thing makes life so much easier. The fact that Jake's totally hot makes it even better." She grinned like a Cheshire cat.

Cassie's dad shook his head in disbelief.

"So, on to more important matters. Dad, I think a vampire is responsible for mom's death. No, I know a vampire is. At first, I thought it was stupid to even consider it, but with all that's happened, I know it isn't as unbelievable as it first was."

"What do you mean?"

"Dad, you never did find out the details of mom's murder, did you?"

"Now that I think of it, no." Aidan's face took on a serious expression. "Tell me."

"Well, before it happened, there had been a string of murders occurring in the area. Most of the cases were the same: bodies drained of blood, two puncture wounds on the neck, and burnt beyond recognition. Mom was the same way, except she wasn't burnt."

Aidan's eyes widened in surprise and he cursed under his breath.

"What? Don't forget I can hear you now." Cassie looked at her dad in confusion.

"Ah, it's nothing princess. But, I guess you're right. It probably was a vampire."

Cassie gripped the arm of the couch she was sitting on in anger. A vampire took her mother from her. What was worse, though, was the fact that she had no idea how to avenge her – she didn't know who the vampire was, and there was a slim chance of her finding _it._ A tremor ripped it's way down her spine.

"Cass, calm down. Emily will kill you if you tear her **new** couch to shreds. Just ask Paul what happened to him the last time he lost control: Emily beat him over the head with a frying pan."

Cassie froze and pictured the scene in her head. Soon, she burst into a fit of giggles at the mental image of little old Emily beating the behemoth that was known as Paul with a frying pan.

"Dude, that is not funny. My head was sore for two days. Emily might be small, but she packs a lot of strength in that little body, especially when armed with a frying pan." Paul grumbled from over by the dining room table. His grumbling just made Cassie's fit of laughter even worse, which resulted in everyone else laughing.

She finally calmed down and wiped the tears from her eyes. Maybe being a werewolf wouldn't be too bad.


End file.
